By the time Wen Ning returned from the Underworld, the sky was already growing pale. Another whole night had slipped away.
When he pushed open the shop door, everything inside was quiet. Lu Ming and Zhang Siyu were still asleep.
He poured himself a glass of water and sat behind the counter for a while, his mind still lingering on the way Mimi had looked up at him at the end.
No more swishing tail, just bright eyes, as though Mimi could hardly wait to start the next life.
Wen Ning set down his glass and let out a soft breath.
This was good, too. At least it counted as a perfectly happy ending.
Over the next few days, the shop returned to its usual quiet. Zhang Siyu continued bathing their longtime customers every day, while Lu Ming threw himself into odd jobs and could hardly pull himself away.
That afternoon, sunlight streamed in through the front door.
Wen Ning leaned against the counter, idly scrolling through short videos.
One funny clip after another slid past on the screen. His face remained expressionless, and his finger moved slowly. He was only killing time.
Suddenly, a notification popped up. Its white headline against a red background was especially eye-catching.
Congratulations to Zhou Ming, a college entrance exam candidate from our province, for achieving the highest overall score in the province and becoming its top science-track scorer!
Wen Ning's finger paused above the screen.
He blinked and tapped the notification. Sure enough, there was a photo of Zhou Ming wearing glasses, his smile still a little shy.
Underneath were a few lines about a brilliant student from a humble family, a teenage genius, and the like.
Wen Ning stared at the screen for two seconds, then turned and called to Zhang Siyu,